by Cori Lefkowith | Dec 17, 2018 | Blog, Diet
BCAAs – It’s All About The Amino Acids!
Other than protein powders, BCAAs supplements are actually the supplement I get asked about the most, especially when people come from bodybuilding circles.
We always think MORE IS BETTER…so more amino acids, especially when we are trying to build muscle may be better, right?
So what are BCAAs supplements and do you need them, especially if you’re an average jane or joe?
What Are BCAAs?
BCAAs are branched-chain amino acids. They are made up of 3 essential amino acids – isoleucine, leucine and valine. (And as discussed early, essential amino acids can’t be made by the body but must instead be gotten through the foods we consume.)
These BCAAs make up about 40% of the daily requirement of all 9 essential amino acids, which shows you how important these 3 are.
BCAAs can be found in all sources of protein with the highest concentrations in chicken, beef, salmon, eggs and whey.
In all of these sources though, the BCAAs are peptide-bound to other amino acids.
So in order to raise BCAA levels in your body, they must first be liberated through digestion and then absorbed into the bloodstream.
Even with say a whey protein, which is relatively fast digesting, it can still take hours for the amino acids to be broken down and absorbed.
However in supplements, BCAAs are free form and require no digestion, meaning they can bypass the liver and gut tissue and go straight for the bloodstream.
This means they are more rapidly absorbed and may spike blood amino acid levels more quickly and to a greater extent even than the aminos in proteins.
BCAA Benefits:
The two main reasons BCAA supplementation usually comes up are for gaining muscle and improving recovery, both of which they are touted to do.
BCAAs trigger protein synthesis with exercise or even without.
When combined with exercise they can be a great way to help you build muscle while they can help you retain lean muscle mass when you aren’t working out.
Say for instance, if you are injured and taking time off. Supplementing with BCAAs may help you minimize muscle loss.
Not only is that good in and of itself, but the retention of more lean muscle mass can also help keep your metabolism up to prevent you from gaining fat even while you’re inactive.
If you are using intermittent fasting, you may actually choose to supplement with a flavorless BCAA powder in your water during your fasts, and during your workouts for extra energy, to help you gain and retain lean muscle mass.
Because it can help prevent muscle catabolism, it will only benefit you if you fast for longer periods OR even do an endurance cardiovascular sport, say long distance runs or rides that may be more catabolic to muscle tissue.
BCAA supplementation may also benefit us more as we age because it becomes more difficult to create a muscle-building environment and activate protein synthesis as we get older.
And, partly due to the fact that BCAAs can help us build and retain lean muscle, but also due to the fact that isoleucine and leucine help improve glucose tolerance and increase energy expenditure and fat oxidation, they may also help you increase fat burning and fat loss.
BCAAs may also aid in recovery, which can not only help you feel better for your next training session, but can actually help you get in a better training session by decreasing fatigue.
This is actually probably the BIGGEST benefit of BCAA supplementation over just consuming other sources of protein.
BCAAs can be burned as energy. This can help maintain ATP energy levels during glycogen-depleting exercise. Because BCAAs can also enhance the body’s ability to burn fat, they can then increase your energy pool that way.
BCAAs can also help prevent central nervous system fatigue by inhibiting the uptake of tryptophan into the brain (tryptophan is used to make serotonin in the brain, increasing tiredness and fatigue).
Basically what BCAAs do is prevent our brain from telling us “You’re done,” which is most often why our performance suffers. Let’s face it…If you’re brain tells you that you’re tired, your going to feel tired and slow down!
BCAAs can also help reduce muscle soreness, both after a strength OR a cardio endurance workout. Note I said REDUCE, not prevent.
So if you were looking into BCAAs as a recovery aid, they may well be worth the money! (However, it may mean taking them CONSISTENTLY and not just the day of a hard training session.)
BCAA Downsides:
The biggest question is really…Are they worth the extra cost?
The downside is you can easily get plenty of the amino acids you need from whole, natural foods and often without the sweeteners or flavoring added to make BCAAs taste better. (Although yes you can get unflavored options.)
And with proper nutrition and SLEEP, you can also usually help your body recover properly without added supplementation.
Also, B vitamins can become depleted, especially if you megadose BCAAs as they are critical for amino acid metabolism. This can cause serious issues since B vitamins are essential for everything from energy metabolism, preventing cravings to managing anxiety and cognition.
If you do supplement with BCAAs or are taking huge doses in preparation for an event, just make sure to get plenty of vitamin B rich foods (spinach, broccoli, beets, bell peppers, oranges).
Also, as I mentioned, BCAAs can help prevent serotonin from being created which can help during your workout to prevent your brain from telling your body it is fatigued.
HOWEVER, low serotonin levels can lead to depression, poor moods and even affect your sleep.
This is important to note if your diet is already high in protein AND low in carbs. You may not want to add a BCAA supplement to the mix.
This problem can be avoided though even simply by timing more carbs before bed, but it is something to watch for if considering adding BCAAs to your diet.
And just remember BCAAs DO NOT replace protein.
So…Should YOU Use It?
I think if muscle building and maintenance is your main goal, they are worth a shot, especially if you are a hard gainer or training intensely while in a deficit. So when you’re working to lose those last few pounds, this could be the extra push you need, especially if you’ve hit a plateau.
They may also be helpful if you plan to compete in a physique show and are having trouble getting down to very low levels of body fat.
BCAAs may also be something to look into for your distance runners and cyclists. If you are a runner upping your miles that wants to prevent muscle loss with the increase in steady-state cardio, they could be a good way to prevent muscle catabolism.
They can also aid recovery and help prevent fatigue which may help you improve your training for a specific event.
They can also be great if you are doing fasted weight training, and not first thing in the morning, and want to make sure to protect your lean muscle and even increase your gains. The key with this though is to get UNFLAVORED BCAAs to maybe add to your water or coffee.
If you plan to supplement with BCAAs, you will probably want to consume them right prior to and DURING your training.
If you are just starting your weight loss journey though, they aren’t necessary as you can meet your needs with your protein intake from whole, natural foods and even maybe a protein supplement alone.
(The only caveat to this is if you haven’t been training AT ALL, and are jumping back in, they have been shown to be helpful for reducing muscle soreness and speeding recovery in untrained individuals.)
We always want to first focus on meeting your needs with dialing in our overall diet.
BCAAs may just help us reach that next level if we’ve had everything dialed in for awhile!
Looking For Some Delicious BCAAs to add to your diet?
Check out Redefining Supps!
4 amazing flavors to add to your water during your training and make sure you’re using every tool at your disposal to get the best results possible!
–> Redefining Supplements BCAAs
Further reading on BCAA supplementation:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21222129
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3156598/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22350359
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3261811/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21297567
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20844186
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21487148
https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0040009
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21636183
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21606874
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19997002
http://www.hdri-usa.com/assets/files/role_of_b_vitamins_in_biological_methylation.pdf
by Cori Lefkowith | Oct 23, 2018 | Blog, Diet, Recipes
I believe eating well is a balance…and sometimes that balance even means having no balance aka what I consider “cheat days.”
But for those days you don’t fully feel like indulging but do have a hankering for some of those not so healthy treats, it can be fun to come up with macro-friendly alternatives.
These macro-friendly recipes help keep you on track while still satisfying your cravings so that you don’t want to binge.
They are a great way to find balance with eating well so that you don’t feel deprived and can still stay focused on your goals.
They help you create that oh so elusive LIFESTYLE so many people talk about.
And one of my favorite macro-friendly treats is this Pita Pepperoni Pizza!
No this isn’t the cleanest meal you’ll ever eat, but guess what?! Sometimes you NEED that!
So if you’re craving some pizza but want to stay on track, and potentially trigger worse cravings, try this Macro-Friendly Pizza alternative!
The Pita Pepperoni Pizza
SERVINGS 1-2
INGREDIENTS:
2 pitas (Joseph’s Flax Oat Bran & Whole Wheat Pita Bread)
16 slices Turkey Pepperoni (65% Less Fat)
1/2 cup Mozzarella Cheese Shredded
1/2 cup Italian Herb Organic Pasta Sauce
1/2 cup Ricotta Cheese, Low-Fat
1 tbsp Parmesan & Romano Grated Cheese
Sprinkling of Red Pepper Flakes
DIRECTIONS:
Preheat the oven to 350 and place the pita bread on the middle rack for 3-4 minutes just till it starts to get crispy but not brown.
Then remove from the oven and split the ingredients between the two pitas. I like to measure as I put the toppings on, especially if I’m not eating both at that meal.
Top first with tomato sauce. Then the pepperoni. Then sprinkle with the mozzarella before spooning on chunks of the ricotta. You can also spread the ricotta on if you don’t want bigger chunks.
Place in the oven again on a baking sheet and cook till the edges of the pita start to brown and the cheese is melted.
Then remove from the oven and top with parmesan and red pepper. Enjoy!
You can of course place any other toppings on that you like. Others that are good include olives, onions, spinach, mushrooms…The options are endless! Just make sure to adjust the macros below based on the ingredients you use!
MACROS FOR BOTH PITA PIZZAS:
Calories: 475
Protein: 46 grams
Carbs: 34 grams
Fat: 23 grams
FOR A SINGLE PITA PIZZA….just in case you wanted to be lazy and not do the math ;-):
Calories: 237.5
Protein: 23 grams
Carbs: 17 grams
Fat: 11.5 grams
Ready to strike a balance between indulging in the foods you love and eating clean and according to your goals?
Sick of trying to find a “lifestyle” when most diets force you to cut out the foods you love?
It’s time you learned a bit more about Macro Cycling. CLICK HERE!
by Cori Lefkowith | Oct 15, 2018 | Blog, Diet
So one of my male clients told me a few of his female co-workers wanted to start losing some weight. He told them they should eat more protein.
And they said back to him, “But we don’t want to get bulky!”
WHAAAAAAAT!?!
I was a bit stunned when he told me this.
They thought that by eating protein, since they so often saw MEN consuming protein powders and higher protein to gain muscle, that eating too much protein would make them BULKY!
BULKY…It’s a word so many women fear.
It’s a word that holds many women back from even starting to weight train. And now I find out it is a word that holds women back from even eating the protein that they should!
Let me set the record straight…
PROTEIN WILL MAKE YOU BULKY.
FALSE!!
Protein absolutely, positively will NOT make you bulky, ladies. NOT AT ALL!
What protein WILL DO is:
- Help you look lean and toned like you want
- Help you feel energized to power through your workouts
- Help you LOSE WEIGHT WITHOUT FEELING HUNGRY
- Did I say look strong, sexy and LEAN!?!
Protein is the KEY…Literally the KEY to getting the results you want.
So a bit more about WHY protein so key for us LADIES and WHY it won’t make you bulky….
- It’s the building blocks of muscle. Not only will you preserve your lean muscle mass while potentially dieting in a calorie deficit BUT you can also build lean muscle to help you look more toned! AND as we get older, especially us ladies, it can be harder and harder to retain and even GAIN muscle. A diet high in protein helps! Plus, when we are injured, we often think we need less protein, BUT a diet higher in protein can help us prevent muscle loss while we are out and restricted from training.
- Keeps you feeling fuller for longer. Protein keeps you satisfied so that you don’t end up feeling like you are starving even if you’re trying to lose weight.
- It makes weight loss EASIER! The thermogenic effect of protein makes it EASIER to lose weight and drop body fat on a protein rich diet EVEN if you “overeat.” A study 2014 study showed that even on a hypercaloric diet, people didn’t gain weight due to the high protein. Plus, because it preserves lean muscle mass, you will tend to burn more calories even at rest and your metabolism will stay healthy.
- Improves recovery and muscle repair. You will provide your muscles with the building blocks they need to repair. AND the increase in protein can also help your tendons and connective tissues repair. Greater protein synthesis accelerates tissue repair and strengthens connective tissues to reduce your risk for injury.
- Can improve bone density and prevent osteoporosis. It is actually a common misconception that high protein is bad for your bones and this “myth” is based on a misunderstanding of bone metabolism. Actually the amino acids in protein are used to build bone AND because protein increases muscles mass, there is an increase in bone strength! (1)
- And studies of protein rich diets have even shown to improve brain functioning, quality of sleep AND even lower blood pressure!
And speaking to those ladies going through menopause and post-menopause struggling to keep the weight off…PROTEIN IS KEY TO RETAIN THAT LEAN MUSCLE MASS and keep our skin, hair and nails healthy and strong! It is the building blocks!
During and post-menopause, protein can help keep our hormones in check and help us avoid that dreaded weight gain! It can help improve our body composition as well as our overall body functioning.
In menopause your hormone levels change and even specific hormones decrease, so if you don’t get enough protein, you’re going to have a harder time maintaining hormonal balance, which is what can affect muscle retention and cause weight gain. It can also affect our digestive system, thyroid and bone health!
So really ladies I should be asking, “Why WOULDN’T you eat more protein!?!”
If you’ve been struggling to get the results you want, track your food and you’ll notice that you probably are low on protein!
Protein doesn’t lead to bulk. It leads to that strong, lean muscle that helps us move better, feel better and even LOOK BETTER!
Ready to take control of your diet and get the lean, strong body you’ve always wanted?
Join my Metabolic Shred!
by Cori Lefkowith | Jul 23, 2018 | Blog, Diet, featured
We hear all the time…
“It’s not a diet. It’s a lifestyle!”
But let’s face it…With anything where we can’t just do whatever we want, whenever we want, we are going to have some “slip ups.”
We are going to wake up late because we accidentally turned off our alarm.
We are going to skip our workout because we are stressed.
We’re going to buy that outfit we don’t need just because we really really want it!
There really are very few places in life where we can do exactly what we want all of the time.
YET somehow we expect that with our diet.
We think we can “go on a diet,” lose weight, then go back to eating what we were eating before and keep the weight off.
We have this delusion that we can eat whatever we want all of the time.
But it doesn’t work that way.
HOWEVER, that doesn’t mean that we need to continue this cycle of extreme calorie deprivation and cutting out all of the foods we love.
We need to instead realize that it is all about balance and finding something we can do consistently.
Dieting doesn’t have to suck; however, just like everything in life, there will be times we have to do things we don’t fully want to do!
AND I think it is important to recognize that there will be periods where we will be more diligent and times we will…well…”fall off.”
Everything goes in cycles. Here are 5 tips though to help you make dieting suck less!
5 Tips To Make Dieting Suck Less:
1. Find meals you love. Plan those in first.
Dieting has come to mean bland, boring foods. Chicken and broccoli. Bland white fish and asparagus.
But A. These things don’t have to be bland and boring. And B. There has to be a balance which includes foods you enjoy.
If you want to stick with a diet and make it something you actually ENJOY doing, you have to be able to make meals you love.
I always tell people starting my Macro Cycling programs that they should plan in meals with their family or meals they really love first. If you really crave salmon or steak, plan it in. And work your other meals around it.
Really crave chocolate or something sweet at the end of the night? Plan it in first. That way you can work everything else around it!
Remember it is 80/20 not perfection that gets results. Perfection might lead to faster results, but it generally also leads to incredibly short-term results!
2. Stop making it about perfection. Give yourself one focus.
We go in with this all or nothing attitude that often leads to us “falling off” before we really even start.
And if we do get in a routine, at the first sign of life getting in the way, aka work stresses, family pressures, the HOLIDAYS, our goals and diet go completely out the window.
We struggle to stay consistent because we’ve put so much pressure on ourselves to be “perfect.” To only eat whole natural foods. To be within a gram of our goal. To always be under our calories.
But it isn’t about perfection.
It’s about knowing our goals and being consistent.
Especially during those busy times, don’t worry about the details. Give yourself just ONE THING to focus on to keep you on track.
I always tell clients that if they can do just one thing, make protein your focus. If you make protein your focus, you’ll see results.
Or if they’ve even struggled with that, I’ll tell them to simply start by LOGGING. There is accountability in that AND it can help us then slowly make changes as we feel ready.
It doesn’t have to be all or nothing. Those small tweaks, that consistency adds up!
3. Stop cutting out foods you love first.
Ok we all know certain foods are bad for us. But we love them anyway.
Those foods that we love are often also the first things we cut out. And then all we can think about is how much we want those foods.
So what happens?
We end up binging and then struggle to get back on track.
But what if we didn’t first cut out those foods we love the most?
What if instead we first focused on adding in other things? Or making tweaks to those foods we love so they fit our macros better?
What if we got rid of the other fluff so we could even still indulge in those foods we love?
A. Consistency is about balance. It isn’t all or nothing and even unhealthy foods can have a place in our lifestyle!
B. When we make those other changes FIRST, often making the bigger changes. aka sometimes reducing or even eliminating those unhealthy foods we feel we “need,” becomes EASIER because we aren’t then cutting out the things we love first. We don’t feel as DEPRIVED because we’ve made other changes that have created new habits.
So when you’re getting started, start with easy and small tweaks. And even consider how you can make meals more macro friendly!
4. Fuel your body instead. Less isn’t always more.
A big reason why we think diets suck is because we are ALWAYS hungry.
There is legitimately a term for this hunger, and the resulting ANGER from it…HANGER.
So of course feeling hungry and low energy all of the time isn’t going to make us want to stick with our eating plan.
Nope! But it may make you reach for the quickest and most unhealthy thing in sight!
And not only can this constant starvation cause us to fall off our diet, but it can also actually cause our results to stall or plateau. LESS ISN’T ALWAYS MORE!
Yes, a calorie deficit is key. But too little and you can’t workout hard and your body starts to try to conserve energy.
PLUS, it is NOT just about calories in vs. calories out. The quality of those calories matters! And that doesn’t just mean healthy vs. unhealthy foods but even the MACRO ratios that you consume.
Even though you may want to lose weight quickly, don’t starve yourself. Make sure to fuel your activity and it will not only make eating well more pleasant but help you stay consistent long term!
5. Plan for the worst.
It’s easy to eat well and stick to your goals when you aren’t stressed, have full control of your schedule and are 100% motivated and even getting results.
However, that all happens at the same time like maybe 5% of the time if we’re lucky.
Most of the time we are stressed, or tired, or have family obligations…Or heck…we just want to go out and have fun!
But most often we only PLAN for the times that it is easy. We don’t prepare for the times that we are going to have other things going on that may make it seem impossible to prep or stay on track.
That is why it is key that we consider and plan for the “worst.”
How can we provide ourselves with guidance to stay on track even when things aren’t easy? How can we create consistency and balance so we can keep ourselves moving forward or maintaining even when “dieting” isn’t our main focus?
Often I think this means giving ourselves one thing to focus on. One clear and easy goal that we know will keep us on track enough.
I also think it is about remembering it is about CONSISTENCY and not perfection that truly matters in the long run.
And I think it is important that we come up with ways that allow us to diet with balance. Find easy meals out. Plan around the things you love and enjoy.
Find quick snacks that, while maybe not perfect, are way better than the alternative and will keep you feeling fueled and on track.
Dieting may not always be fun but it shouldn’t detract from your life. There will be periods where you will want to be stricter and others you will do the bare minimum. The key is finding a way to make it “not suck” so you can remain consistent and find balance!
And it is also about remembering EVERYTHING goes in cycles. Don’t feel guilty or beat yourself up. Just make small little tweaks to always be getting better and preparing yourself to make the most out of what you can!
With these 5 tips you can get on track and make dieting…well…suck less!
Learn more about the 5 reasons why diets have failed you in the past!
by Cori Lefkowith | Jun 13, 2018 | Blog, Diet, Recipes
I LOVE the flavor of Buffalo Chicken. I literally could make myself some sort of Buffalo Chicken something EVERY. SINGLE. DAY! (Heck, I actually have for the last month hehe!)
That is why it was love at first sight when one of my trainers shared this Buffalo Chicken Lettuce Wrap she made as part of her Macro Cycling Plan.
It has that awesome little kick that Frank’s hot sauce has, but is still light and refreshing and perfect for Summer.
Try this macro-friendly Buffalo Chicken recipe. Delicious and full of protein! It actually even makes a great dish for a picnic or BBQ!
Buffalo Chicken Quinoa Lettuce Wraps
SERVINGS 3
***NOTE: This makes approximately 2 wraps per serving
INGREDIENTS:
6 leaves Romaine or Iceberg Lettuce
1/2 cup Diced Onion
1 pound Ground Chicken
1/4 cup Frank’s Hot Sauce
1/2 cup Panko Breadcrumbs
1 cup Cooked Quinoa
1/4 cup Green Onions Chopped
DIRECTIONS:
Cook quinoa according to package and let cool.
Combine all ingredients (including quinoa, excluding green onions) in a bowl and mix well.
Heat a nonstick skillet over medium heat. You can form mixture into balls and make meat balls or cook as a meat crumble by just adding the mixture directly to the skillet.
Cook until meat is throughly cooked through.
Add mixture into lettuce pieces. Top evenly with green onions.
If you’re storing for later on, divide the meat mixture evenly into containers and then only add to the lettuce when you are planning to eat.
**To make this gluten-free you could omit the breadcrumbs or sub in ground up gluten-free oats or even a rice cereal or almonds if preferred. Vegetarians may even sub in tofu or tempeh or even eggs for the chicken! Please note though any subs may change the macros!
MACRONUTRIENT BREAKDOWN:
Calories: 320
Protein: 40 grams
Carbs: 30 grams
Fat: 6 grams
Looking For Some New Macro-Friendly Summer Recipes To Try?
Check out my 13 Macro-Friendly Summer Recipes Guide! –> Learn More!
by Cori Lefkowith | Apr 17, 2018 | Blog, Diet, Recipes
Can you be Vegetarian BUT still eat a diet rich in protein?
The answer…
YES!
When we think about dieting and “eating well,” we think about whole natural foods. We even think about cutting calories if weight loss is our goal.
But so often we do these two things and still don’t get the results we want!
And it’s because MACROS MATTER!
Protein is essential but often the macro we focus on least.
But a lack of protein may be the reason we’ve felt hungry on other diets and have not gotten the results we’ve wanted.
Why is protein so important?:
- It’s the building blocks of muscle. Not only will you preserve your lean muscle mass while potentially dieting in a calorie deficit BUT you can also build lean muscle to help you look more toned! AND as we get older, especially us ladies, it can be harder and harder to retain and even GAIN muscle. A diet high in protein helps! Plus, when we are injured, we often think we need less protein, BUT a diet higher in protein can help us prevent muscle loss while we are out and restricted from training.
- Keeps you feeling fuller for longer. Protein keeps you satisfied so that you don’t end up feeling like you are starving even if you’re trying to lose weight.
- It makes weight loss EASIER! The thermogenic effect of protein makes it EASIER to lose weight and drop body fat on a protein rich diet EVEN if you “overeat.” Plus, because it preserves lean muscle mass, you will tend to burn more calories even at rest and your metabolism will stay healthy.
- Improves recovery and muscle repair. You will provide your muscles with the building blocks they need to repair. AND the increase in protein can also help your tendons and connective tissues repair. Greater protein synthesis accelerates tissue repair and strengthens connective tissues to reduce your risk for injury.
- Can improve bone density and prevent osteoporosis. It is actually a common misconception that high protein is bad for your bones and this “myth” is based on a misunderstanding of bone metabolism. Actually the amino acids in protein are used to build bone AND because protein increases muscles mass, there is an increase in bone strength!
- And studies of protein rich diets have even shown to improve brain functioning, quality of sleep AND even lower blood pressure!
Ok…so you’re now convinced you need more protein.
But how do you get it in if you’re a veggie lover?
That is why I wanted to share this delicious Vegetarian-friendly dish!
Cauliflower And Mushroom Casserole
SERVINGS: 3
INGREDIENTS:
1/2 tbsp Olive Oil
2 tbsp Fresh Parsley
4 tbsp Grated Parmesan Cheese
1/4 cup Fat-Free Greek Yogurt
4 tbsp Light Cheddar Cheese
3 tbsp Egg Whites
1/2 tsp Black Pepper
1/4 tsp Salt
1/2 tbsp Sea Salt
3/4 tbsp Olive Oil
1 clove Garlic, minced
1/2 Large Onion
1 1/2 pounds Cauliflower
1/2 pound Fresh Button Mushrooms
DIRECTIONS:
Preheat the oven to 425F and place a rack in the middle. Rub a small-medium baking dish with a bit of olive oil and set aside.
Spread cauliflower florets in an even layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle olive oil over the florets and sprinkle with sea salt and pepper. Roast in the oven 30 minutes or until the cauliflower is lightly caramelized, turning once.
As the cauliflower cooks, in a medium skillet over medium-high heat, saute the mushrooms in 1/2 tbsp olive oil sprinkled with a couple of pinches of salt.
Stir every minute or so until the mushrooms have released their liquid and have browned a bit. Add the onions and cook another 4-5 minutes until translucent. Stir in the garlic and cook for another minute and remove from the heat. When the cauliflower is ready, add to the skillet and stir until combined.
In a medium bowl combine eggs, cheddar cheese and yogurt.
Add cauliflower-mushroom mixture. Stir until well combined and turn out into your prepared baking dish. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and cover with foil.
Lower the oven temperature to 350F. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for 10 minutes, until golden around the edges. Sprinkle with parsley before serving.
ENJOY!
MACRO BREAKDOWN:
Calories: 267
Protein: 22 grams
Carbs: 12 grams
Fats: 15 grams
Ready to eat according to your goals and learn how to get even more out of your vegetarian diet? Want to learn how to increase your protein using COMPLEMENTARY proteins even?
–> Join my Macro Academy!
But A. These things don’t have to be bland and boring. And B. There has to be a balance which includes foods you enjoy.
But what if we didn’t first cut out those foods we love the most?
